Charging Backwards
by HannahCake310
Summary: He charged at full force. He ran hard, not caring if anyone saw him. He forced his legs to go faster, he needed to get away. He ran as hard as his legs would take him... away from the enemy. A tactical retreat, he would call it.
1. Chapter 1

**Hey everyone! Here is a plot bunny that just would NOT go away. Hope you like it!**

**Enjoy...**

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**Charging Backwards**

It had been an ambush; of course it had been an ambush. After seventeen years they finally figured out the correct way to get him, they finally put the pieces together and realized that he always protected the weak.

In this case the weak being a screaming woman with her clothes in tatters and a Purple Dragon practically on top of her, about to do the unhonorable.

Leonardo had chosen a new path to go home on, not the normal one that he had already ran hours ago with his brothers.

He had felt restless, cooped up when they had returned to the Lair. They had already patrolled that night and found nothing out of the ordinary. So, the brothers had returned home and broke off to their own vices.

Michelangelo had run to his video games whooping and hollering about wanting to beat the high score Raph had set earlier in the day.

Raphael had bid ado to the family claiming he would be in the garage for the remainder of the night supping up his bright red motorcycle that he fondly called his Baby.

Donatello, no surprise to his family, had called over his shoulder to his brothers as he ventured into his lab. He had broadcasted to the entire Lair full of four people that they were not to bother him for the next three hours under the penalty of death.

This had left Leonardo standing by the Lair door with no want to read or meditate or even train.

He wished Master Splinter would come home from his yearly pilgrimage early so they could play a round of chess or talk.

Splinter had journeyed to Japan, as he always did in the month of April, to visit the foreign lands and feel the peaceful bliss of being back in the ancient county.

Leo had sighed, feeling restless.

Finally, after much deliberation he turned back to the closed door of the Lair and shouted behind him that he was going to go on a run. None of his brothers, or at least the ones who could hear him, said anything back to affirm they had even heard him, but that was fine. He would be back soon enough.

He had taken a new route thinking it would be exhilarating being on his own on less traveled rooftops. About an hour after he left the Lair he glanced up at the sky to see thick clouds obstructing the moonlight.

He knew how it went so the rain clouds didn't surprise him.

_April shower bring May flowers._

He liked flowers just as much as he liked the rain but, he wasn't too keen on getting drenched to the bone tonight. It had already been such a long day.

He had just rounded the corner for home when he heard the terrified shriek below him. He slid to a stop literally feeling the heavy air seep into his lungs from the impending storm. The storm didn't bother him as much when he heard the shriek again and a smile crossed his face slowly.

_Finally, some excitement._

He didn't charge into battle all half assed with eyes dark with fury. He didn't go looking for trouble. No, that was Raph's department and besides, he didn't have to go looking because trouble always seemed to find him. He was a magnet that only attracted trouble.

The old run down saying; _turtle luck running true to form_ echoed in his head. It was Raph's favorite line whenever something went wrong or plans abruptly changed.

True, Leo didn't jump into battle but that didn't mean he didn't enjoy a good rumble. That's were his brothers pegged him wrong, he was a level-headed leader but, a level-headed leader who loved to dish up a big can of whoop- ass against criminals or gangsters who disturbed the relative peace that laid over New York on rare occasions.

It was on the third bloodcurdling scream that sounded as if it were right next to him that Leo peered over the rooftop and saw the scantily clad woman being taken advantage of.

The protector in Leo won out over his want to just stand by and wait for a Good Samaritan to come to the woman's rescue. He hopped over the roof catching a ring of the fire escape to slow his fall before flipping twice to land next to the man dressed in black.

Leonardo was still enshrouded in the shadows of night when his voice rang out crisp, "You know what I hate?" He asked not really wanting an answer.

The man quickly jumped off the woman who had stopped screaming and whimpering at the sound of Leo's voice. The man did not turn around but stayed sticky stiff facing the woman who was guarded from Leo's view.

Leo continued, "I hate you thugs who think that just because you can means you should."

The man didn't move and neither did the woman.

"I'm going to give you thirty seconds to walk away slowly before I run you through," Leo touched the hilt of one of his katana. It clinked and rustled in its sheath.

The man turned to him, a smile seeping across his face.

Leo was prepared for the man to attack him but, what he wasn't ready for the woman to charge at him as well.

In retrospect, he really should have seen the purple tattoo on the man's neck and the matching dragon across the woman's uncovered stomach.

The man rushed him with a small blade glinting in the moon light in his right hand. Leo easily took the man down without even unsheathing his blades.

The woman however, was a surprise. She attacked with fury and speed. She used her fists that had brass knuckles taped against her hands to lash out at him. Leo knew she had brass knuckles when he let his guard down and she got in a good hit to his check.

Leo spit blood then drew his swords. He was finished playing games with this woman who was still practically naked. With one clean swipe the woman was on the ground and bloody next to the man, a thin slice right through the purple dragon on her stomach being the killing blow.

He wiped the blood from his chin slightly out of breath and pissed as hell that his rescue mission had turned into an all out fight with the damsel in distress.

It was then he heard it; the sound of a hallow pipe hitting a thick hand, the grunt of deep voices from behind him.

Leo quickly turned, his eyes widened in terror. Behind him stood what looked to be the entire Purple Dragon gang with Dragon Face in the lead.

Abruptly, the blue banded turtle looked up to the roofs knowing he was out numbered here on the ground. Leo would've gasped if he hadn't had so much control over himself. There, on the rooftop were dozens of men and woman lining both sides.

The word _ambush_ and _I'm an idiot_ played through his head. He thought of his shell cell that was still laying on his bedside table, completely useless to him at this moment. Again the words _I'm an idiot_ was thought through his mind.

"You know what I hate?" spat Dragon Face with a snarl on his half tattooed face. "Turtles!"

A single drop of rain splashed on Leo's swollen check and they attacked. In a flash the gang pounced on Leo from all sides.

He whipped his other sword out slicing the throat of the nearest man, he crumpled to the ground. Another woman took the fallen man's place stepping on his body in the tight space.

He sensed a baseball bat swooning down to his head. He tried to move at the last second while also trying to dodge a knife coming for his chest.

He only managed to dodge one.

The knife grazed his side, far off course from its goal of stabbing him in the heart, but the bat made contact.

The metal baseball bat smashed into his right collarbone with so much force Leo had to drop his katana then bite his lip to stop the scream of pain. He heard, actually _heard_ his collarbone shatter.

Stars exploded in his vision as his body was engulfed with pain. Fire burned and an spit at his shoulder then worked its way through his whole body. Another two drops of rain slapped at his face

Though he was in pain he didn't skip a beat. Leonardo blocked another attack to his left side before slicing a Dragon's throat. His body went into auto pilot, protecting him with only half his brain fully functioning. The other half tried to fight off the dizziness and the want to pass out from the burning in his shoulder.

He could feel his bones rattling around.

Finally, Leo made the executive decision that maybe he should get the shell out of there.

He knew when he was outmatched, outnumbered. He knew when he needed to get away. He was not out skilled but he knew when the odds were fifty to one. The best option in his situation was to run rather than fight.

All the skill and Bushido in the world couldn't stop fifty semi trained men and woman with guns and chains and pipes.

After all, Leo was tired. He had run almost ten miles and jumped over half the rooftops of New York City already by the time he had stupidly decided to jump to the aid of the indecent woman.

_Yeah, some thanks I get for trying to save her life._

Cradling his injured arm and shoulder against his plastron he sheathed his remaining sword, the other one being lost under the feet and bodies around him and jumped up. The fire escape was steady enough for him so shove himself up then catapult to the roof.

More Dragons were up there waiting for him. Without even thinking he sprinted passed them to the other side of the roof, away from the gangsters with guns.

He jumped to the next roof staggering slightly as his vision dimmed around its edges. He grabbed his shoulder and cringed as bolts of fire ran inside his body. He could already feel the swelling and see the brushing blossoming over his skin.

After forcing his stiff body to continue on Leo covered three more roofs before he chanced a glance behind him and cursed.

_Why the hell are these guys jumping over the damn roofs?!_ He growled to himself amazed the Dragons were advancing through the rooftops as skillfully as any Foot ninja. They were all chasing after him, jumping between the wide gaps of the rooftops with ease.

Again Leo cursed and turned around needing to get away from the advancing Dragons.

He ran away from the enemy as fast as he could.

A tactical retreat, he would call it.

He ran and jumped as hard as he could. He willed his legs to go faster, he needed to _fly_ away from those gangsters who wanted his head.

He gripped his injured arm closer to himself dearly wanting a sling to put it in so it would quit bumping and swinging and bashing against him.

The sky opened up as he ran drenching his body and washing away the blood that seeped from multiple cuts. The rain made it hard for him to catch himself as he jumped to another roof.

He needed to get to a manhole, get into the sewers. He needed to get home to his brothers. He needed Donnie to look at his collarbone. He needed a break to catch his breath.

Again he looked behind him and cursed to the high heavens. The Purple Dragons had gotten closer.

So, he ran, ran as fast as he could, as fast as his legs would take him.

After all, there's nothing like a Fearless Leader charging backwards.

_To be continued..._

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**Thoughts?**

**Again, just like always, I wrote/posted this because I am way too lazy to update 'How The Mighty Have Fallen.' If you want to check that out now that you're done with this story I think that would be great :) *wink* *wink***

**Reviews make the world go round (and makes me write faster, though I already write pretty fast haha)**

**Have a good day fellow readers!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Major Props go out to TheIncredibleDancingBetty for helping kick my butt into gear with this story. I can't even tell you how much fun it is bouncing ideas off each other!**

**Anyways, ON WITH THE ACTION!**

**I don't own them... duhhh! (If I owned them I can guarantee they wouldn't be living in New York. Nope, they would all be huddled up in my barn here in Ohio mahaha)**

**Enjoy...**

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Fearless, that's what Raphael always calls him, _Fearless._

_Yeah, fearlessly charging in the wrong direction,_ Leonardo cursed as he continued on his mad dash to get away from the Purple Dragons who were right on his tail jumping over the rooftops just as if they were the God damned Foot clan.

_Since when do they even take to the roofs? Aren't thugs supposed to hide in drug houses and terrorize the street at night, from the ground?_

A bullet flew past his head making a whizzing sound as it chipped the cement rooftop. Another bullet zipped past his ear before embedding inches from his foot.

_And now they're firing at me,_ Leo could have laughed had this been any other night and he wasn't running for his life.

The Purple Dragons didn't scare him; they were punks and teenagers who sold their soul to their gang.

Of course, Leo was also a teenager and Raph called him a punk all the time but, that was beside the point. They were still unskilled kids with guns who just wanted a place to fit in.

Other than the occasional drug bust and face smashing Leo bore the Dragons no ill will... except when they broke into a store or stole from a bank or mugged innocent people or... Well, okay, he did hate the Dragons. He hated the way they never seemed to stop multiplying and how their ages always seemed to get younger and younger; half of their faces still had baby fat pudging at their cheeks.

They were children. Mean, nasty, smelly, children who were old enough to tote guns in their pockets but, still children all the same.

Granted, Leo was just above a child himself but again, that's beside the point.

Leonardo was the leader of his clan, he was a ninja and most importantly, he was a kick ass turtle.

So, in reality he was far superior to these gun slinging gangsters who were shooting at his head. Except, he guessed he wasn't that superior because he still charged right into that ambush trying to save that stupid woman.

_I'm running away, bullets flying past my head and I'm injured. This night couldn't get any better,_ he barked sarcastically in his head as he rounded a corner trying to throw off the Dragons.

Cradling his injured shoulder Leo gritted his teeth and sucked in a breath then jumped over a particularly large gap between rooftops. Big, thick rain drops pelted his body as he slid and slipped across the roof that was flooded with rain water.

He ran to the other side of the roof and ducked another bullet as he sensed it coming for the back of his head before he wheeled around to check on the enemies progress.

_You've got to be kidding me_, he growled and sighed at the same time as he laid eyes upon Purple Dragons who were advancing on him quickly. The Dragons were only about three or four roofs away and were gaining ground fast. They were close enough for Leo to see the snarls on their faces and the glints of their guns as they trained them on his forehead.

Before a bullet could be fired into his face he swung around to continue to run through the rain. He whirled around so fast his arm jarred out of his grasp then pulled angrily. Leo had to clench his teeth hard to stop the scream that threatened to tear through his throat. He had broken his collarbone before and knew from experience that he could still run and fight, it just hurt like hell.

_I need to get to the sewers,_ he thought leaping to another roof.

The heavens opened up even more unleashing a hellfire fury of heavy drops of rain on him as lighting danced across the sky and thunder clapped loudly. It was cold rain, of course the rain was cold, and it chilled Leo to the bone. The rain was so thick he could barely see his hand in front of his face.

_If I can't see my hand,_ he plotted, _then they probably can't see me!_

Without thinking twice Leo dropped down between a gap in the rooftops. He stretched his good arm out to catch the side of the fire escape just the same was as he had grabbed the other fire escape earlier while trying to save the damned damsel in distress. The difference was, last time the metal wasn't slick with rain water.

It didn't even cross the leaders mind to take into account the latter would be wet and slippery until after his three large fingers went to grab for the cold metal only to have them slip off. Leo cried out as his heart clenched in his chest and the feeling of weightlessness overwhelmed him. He tried desperately to grab for another part - any part - of the fire escape but his hands were too slippery and his fall was already too fast.

He couldn't stop himself.

It was a large metal dumpster that Leonardo slammed into first before flopping over to bounce against the cold and wet cement of the alley. Stars exploded in his vision making him feel nauseous and dizzy. He bashed himself in the face with his good arm in his haste to stop his mouth from screaming in agony.

He had fallen from roofs before and landed similarly to how he was now but something about the whole slamming-into-a-huge-ass-dumpster thing hurt a lot more than just plummeting to the ground in a free fall.

Leo groaned as he cautiously moved different parts of his body mentally checking himself over. It wasn't until he moved his left leg that he hissed in pain. Fire shot up from the bottom of his knee all the way to his neck and shoulders making him shudder then wince. For a moment all Leo could feel was the anguish his knee gave off as wave after wave crept up his body. After the first initial shock and anguish the pain in his knee receded into a dull throb that matched his heart beat.

Slowly Leo opened his eyes, blinking back annoying drops of rain he gently pulled himself up into a sitting position to take a look at his throbbing knee. He cursed again seeing a trickle of blood being washed away by the pouring rain coming from the bottom of his knee cap.

His knee was twisted at a sickening angle and was already bruising near the bottom of it. His knee pad had been ripped away, he noticed as he gazed down at his bare and bloody leg. The mangled pad was a few feet away, soaking wet and completely useless as it didn't protect his knee at all.

_You'd think knee pads would help against knee injuries_, he huffed, biting hard on his cheek._ I'm going to have Donnie call that guy who we bought these from and demand a refund. _

Leo knew he probably wouldn't do that but the thought of being able to blame someone else for his hellish predicament was a little relieving.

"Take the East Side! Look in all the dumpsters then go into the sewers. The freaks gotta be around here somewhere! Hun wants his head and the first Dragon who gets it gets a wealthy reward!" a deep voice yelled from right over Leo coming from the top of the building.

Leo could barely hear him over the pounding of the rain hitting everything around him, including himself, but he heard enough to know he had to get the shell out if there.

_Dammit!_ Quickly Leo grabbed at his knee with his good arm, sucked in a breath, then twisted it the right way. He groaned as he heard a _pop_ and more stars played over his vision making his head swim and shutter.

There was nothing around him so he had to put all of his weight on his uninjured arm and leg before he hoisted himself up with a grunt and only a small barrage of curses Splinter would not agree with.

Gaining his footing he gingerly put pressure on his bare and injured leg. At first it didn't hurt then he took a step and could have screamed as more spots of fire shot up his body.

He heard rustling being him and looked up just in time to see four dark shadows of Purple Dragons shooting over the alley he was currently suffering in.

"Turtle, turtle, turtle! Come out, come out where ever you are," a voice that wasn't as deep as the first singsonged loudly in the rain. The voice came from the mouth of the alley.

Calling on all the ninja skills he possessed Leo threw himself back against the side of the ally and prayed to the Almighty that the Dragon didn't see him. Slowly, gradually, he added more and more pressure to his leg hoping it could support his body weight just enough so he could run if he needed to.

Leo felt the rain pelting his skin light up some as fewer drops landed on the ground in front of him.

All together the rain stopped.

At once, the world went silent as it always does after a storm. There was a calm before a storm as well as after. Quite frankly, the calm after the storm was worse than before because now Leo had no cover to hide his heavy and labored breathing.

The blue banded turtle sucked in a quick breath then held it as he pressed himself further into the wall willing the shadows to engulf his body.

"There you are, freak!" spat an ugly voice from down the alley

_That's what I get for counting on shadows,_ Leo grumbled before he leaped out grabbing his single katana and landing hard on his good leg. He lowered himself down into an attack position while at the same time angling his injured side away from the Dragon.

Leo narrowed his eyes as he saw the Dragon, two more thugs behind him, walking closer to him. Leo prepared to be attacked and attack back with fury.

"Calm down Blue, just put that knife away and come wit' us an' we won't hurt ya too bad," the night was dark but light enough for Leo to make out the gangsters large silhouettes. The one who spoke was large but the two behind him weren't that big. Leo knew he could take them.

At least, that's what he thought before he saw four more thugs jump down into the alley behind the three already advancing at him.

_Seven... Now there are seven, wonderful._

Seven thugs were now close enough Leo could smell their unwashed bodies and tobacco stained breath. He could handle seven, wouldn't be easy but Leonardo was a ninja, seven wasn't all that bad. He crouched down farther waiting for the right moment to strike.

Then he sensed it, eight more humans jumping down behind him. He sensed them and let out an exasperated breath a second before eight sets of boots landed on the wet ground behind him.

Three Leo could handle with ease, seven was pushing it a bit, fifteen and it was time to get the shell out of there.

Slowly, with his single katana still out and ready to slice someone's throat, Leo backed up against the side of alley watching both groups of Dragons enclose him. Keeping his eyes on the enemies he spied a manhole cover not four feet from away.

_Thank you God!_ He cried in his head still keeping his eyes dark and face expressionless.

In one fluid motion he sheathed his sword and had the manhole cover flung aside. Without thinking twice Leo dropped down and disappeared into the dim lights of the sewer tunnels below hearing a chorus of shouts behind him.

"Blue!"

"Demon!"

"Dammit!"

As soon as his feet hit the sewer water Leo shot off trying to get as much space between him and the Dragons as possible. His shoulder took a backseat to his leg that protested every step and every movement.

Leo could have screamed in annoyance when he heard the tell tale sounds of boots hitting sewer water and thundering after him.

_These people are relentless!_

He huffed for breath as he rounded a corner, he was heading deliberately away from his home.

As he ran down another tunnel he stopped suddenly seeing a service door that was cracked open and just big enough for him to squeeze his shell into. He dashed inside of it then closed the door just enough for it to seem closed tight but still allowing enough of a crack so he could see the gangsters progress in the sewer.

Not a minute later twenty Purple Dragons ran passed his hiding spot heading down the sewer tunnel. One of the men yelled out to the rest, "We ain't leavin' till we find 'im! He's gotta be 'ere somewhere!"

Gently Leo closed the door all the way without it even clicking as it shut. Then he slid down the wall, exhausted and hurting. His eyes were wide in the complete darkness of what he could tell was a small storage room.

His tried to calm his breathing and beating heart by taking deep breaths and letting them out slowly. He could feel his heartbeat in the crook of his shoulder as well as the bottom of his knee.

After three minutes of forcing himself to calm down his body finally did enough so he could think straight. Just outside the door he heard the sounds of water splashing as heavy boots ran through it then down the tunnels.

Slowly Leo got to his feet again noticing that now that his adrenalin was pumping he didn't feel the throbbing in his knee so much. He applied more pressure to it and was surprised when he realized he could handle the fire rolling from his leg. There was nothing he could do about his shoulder but he could handle the pain in his leg.

Leonardo righted himself and grunted. He was finished running. He couldn't let these Dragons get anywhere near his home, his brothers. He knew he couldn't take the entire gang on by himself but, he realized as a smile spread across his face, _I don't have to take them all at once._

He was finished running, it was time to divide them up and destroy them in small groups.

It was time to divide and conquer.

_To be continued..._

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**Thoughts? Questions? Qualms? Queries? (that's what my English teacher always says haha)**

**Please review (uhh, all writers on this site say that but oh well, I'll just retract my rebel status and be like everyone else)**

**Have a good day fellow readers! **

**(and for those of you following How The Mighty Have Fallen I will have the next chapter posted Wednesday!)**


	3. Chapter 3

**So I had all this typed and ready to post when BAM! stupid me exited out of this site without saving ANYTHING. So, like the calm, cool and collected teenager I am I promptly cursed everything under the sun, threw my notebook across the room and cried. After a good ten minutes of sulking I turned back to the computer to begin again. Here is attempt number two at writing chapter three. **

**Big Props go out to TheIncredibleDancingBetty for kicking my butt into gear and her constant support!**

**enjoy...**

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_It was only supposed to be a short run around the block because I felt too cooped up in the Lair. Why does every bad thing that happens to me always start like that?_

It was only supposed to be a training run - _then I was attacked by the entire Foot Clan._

It was only supposed to be a game of ninja tag - _attacked by those wooden soldiers from the Ninja Tribunal._

_Alright,_ Leonardo decided leaning heavily against the damp sewer wall, _I've made the executive decision that I am never going running again. I will stay in the Lair and get fat and lazy. No more training runs._ Leonardo nodded to nothing but the walls affirming his statement.

He heard a sound like feet sloshing through the sewer from right outside his hide out. The Dragons were getting close; he shrank away from the closed door.

He knew he had to get moving before his adrenalin dropped and the feeling of being invincible ceased to exist. But how? He needed a plan. Divide and conquer sure, but how exactly?

_How do I get just a few of them at once? The Dragons are like insects I just can't seem to squish and even when I do they seem to just multiply. I kill one and five more jump into their place, its annoying._

Leo shook his head trying to center his thoughts. He stopped after two shakes however as the movement pulled on his shoulder and his hissed in pain. He wanted to grab at his collarbone area in hopes that holding it would stop the pounding but he knew touching what he thought was a broken bone could be just one of the many stupid mistakes he'd made tonight.

He shifted his body back until he was in the corner of the small sewage storage room then he took his weight off of his bad knee.

He held is hand out in front of him to touch the door with the tips of his fingers. While holding up his good arm he felt a familiar itch irritate him from his wrist to his elbow. In the darkness of the small room he couldn't see what was drying on his skin. Without thinking he brought back his good arm to rub it against his cheek in an attempt to scratch the itch.

He couldn't use his injured arm without crying out in agony when he moved it.

Leonardo stopped as soon as he brought his arm close to his face. He smelled it and froze. He knew that smell, he didn't know who it belonged to but that didn't really matter. Whosever Dragon's blood stained his arm wouldn't be needing it anymore.

Leo thought for a second that it didn't make sense, shouldn't the rain have washed all the blood away? Then he remembered the hunched way in which he had run over the roofs. He had charged away from the enemy with his both arms pulled tightly into himself trying to stop his bad arm from jolting.

Leonardo shivered, he would never get used to the feeling of blood drying on him. It was something that itched while it dried and itched while he peeled it off then itched when nothing was there. Dried blood stained him red.

"Focus Leo, focus," he whispered hoarsely to himself.

He took a deep breath, held it, brought himself together then let it out slowly through his nose.

Now would be a good time to come up with one of my legendary plans, he thought sarcastically.

Mentally he calculated the numbers he had seen and heard running through the sewers; sixty-four feet had hit the sewer water running past his closed door which means thirty-two Dragons in all. Two different groups passed at forty seconds in between them. One group must be going to the left of the tunnels and another going to the right. Leo could remember that the first group had less members, he had only heard about fifteen pairs of feet. If the first group had fifteen that means the other has seventeen thugs... the odds are defiantly not in my favor.

He shook away the thought and continued on. In his head his natural battle instincts and strategies started to form. Leo figured he was appropriately three miles from the Lair, regularly that would be a half an hour of hard running to get there but now...

He looked down at his swollen knee then sucked in a breath as he accidentally jarred his shoulder again, _I won't be doing any hard running anytime soon._

His shell scrapped against the side of the tiny room reminding him of the fact that he now only had one katana. Leo could have punched himself in the face and screamed profanities to no one but the walls for his stupidity. He only owned a grand total of one pair of swords. He had bokken and endless amount if practice katana but none even rivaled that of his blessed blades he had foraged himself back when he was fifteen.

_Yeah, back when,_ he chuckled dryly at his hellish situation, _all those years ago when I was fifteen._

It felt longer than three years had passed since he had foraged his swords with Raphael's help. He'd spent days bending the scrap metal over itself until it was smooth and sharp and lethal, just like him.

Leo forced himself to breathe away his anger. Now was not the time to mourn over the lost extension of himself.

At first it was just a whisper of a sound, barely audible and even less of a murmur. Then the sound repeated itself again: two feet running fast, Leo knew the sound of running feet through sewer sludge. He heard the sound again, louder this time. Four feet... eight... twelve. In total Leonardo counted fifteen pairs of thick and heavy feet trying to maneuver through the tunnels.

_This must be the first group that followed me down here coming around again. I wonder if they've realized their going in circles yet._

As if on cue Leo heard a deep disgusting bark echo through the sewer, "Keep searching! I want that reward!"

Leo growled silently baring his teeth to the darkness. The footsteps of the Dragons faded into the distance and Leonardo knew he had about a minute until the second group of Dragons ran their way past his hideout.

_I stay here I'm a dead turtle. It's time to roll._

He took a loud audible breath, squared his shoulders, winced slighted as his shoulder pulled and ignored his knee. He was done hiding and planning. It was time to be like Raph and charge into battle. No more running away or a tactical retreating. It's time to face Goliath in the form of thirty-two street thugs.

He could hear the same sound as before coming from outside the door; feet hitting the water.

Time to fight.

Without a sound he stood up forcing his knee to take on his full weight. He was surprised when it didn't scream in protest to his moving. A smile spread across Leonardo's face as he placed his hand on the door getting ready to pull it open silently.

All feeling in his body started to numb but his mind felt acute. He felt the beginnings of a drunken stupor seep into his system in anticipation for the oncoming assault against the Purple Dragons. He was drunk on battle, or at least he was starting to feel the buzz of it anyway.

He heard the first set of running feet pass him, then the next and the next. They were slow going and breathing hard. He could hear that they were more spread out instead of being tightly grouped together like the first group by the way their feet hit the water more sporadically and farther apart. After counting the first twelve sets of feet go passed his door then retreat away Leo threw open the door soundlessly and jumped out of his hideout. He had his one sword out and arching into a bloody arc before he even fully left the dark confides of the storage room.

A scream was silenced before it was heard, a body fell to the ground - its face landing first in the water. If the Dragon wasn't dead yet he would die soon from lack of oxygen, from drowning. Leo sensed a chain advancing for the back of his head and he turned quickly. The girl Dragon opened her mouth revealing missing teeth surrounding a large tongue piercing. She tried to scream but a side punch to her temple had her crumpling to the ground, her face falling under the ankle deep water.

"Turtle!" came a hiss shattering the relative silence that had fallen the sewers. A sharp knife was flung at Leo's neck. He dodged easily feeling the rush of battle pull at his limbs. He ran, ignoring the way his knee whined, toward the thrower of the knife. He switched hands while running so his bad arm, that he still kept pinned to his side, held his single blade.

First, Leonardo threw out his good arm in an open handed punch knocking off the wide eyed teenaged Dragon off balance. The teenager flailed for a split second before Leo brought up his bad knee to kick him into the wall. The teenager bounced off the wall with a sickening crack that Leo guessed was either his arm or shoulder breaking before he collapsed to the ground in the thin area that was elevated off the ground, the teenager wouldn't drown like the other two he had just fought.

Leonardo looked down at the boy who still breathed at his feet then over to the two people who would never breathe again all in the same moment. His knee throbbed and he cursed himself for using it to kick the teenager. It wasn't worth it, he should have just used his sword and have been done with it.

The blue banded turtle gritted his teeth, _three down… a lot more to go._

Leo looked back up at the sewers he had traveled more times than he cared to admit. He only then noticed how dim the tunnels were. He could see his hand in front if his face and his sword glinting in the artificial light but that was about it. It was too dim to fully see all the way down the tunnel, but that made Leo smile.

He was the master shadows, he thrived in darkness.

Slowly Leonardo sheathed his sword and chuckled, the Dragons had made a mistake following him down into his own turf. The sewers were his territory, his homeground, his kingdom. It had taken him a while to figure it out but now he knew and now he wanted blood. The Dragons couldn't get near his home; he wouldn't put his family in danger like that. The Dragons had to be slain to ensure they didn't accidentally stumble upon the Lair.

Quickly yet silently Leo kicked the bodies of the Purple Dragons out of the way and into the darkened corners of the sewer. When he was sure no other Dragon would find them he backed way to walk down the tunnel.

Limping only slightly Leonardo walked away to seek the other gangsters. The first round of Dragons had gone in a circle before - odds on they'd do it again and when they did Leo would be there, hiding in the shadows, ready to divide them up. He would pick off the stragglers then work his way up until none remained.

He heard it, the sound that signaled their approaching feet echo through the sewer. He couldn't see them, the lights were too artificial, too dim but he could hear them, he could sense them.

Looking over he spotted a crack in the sewer tunnel leading to a walkway of a hidden shaft. The crack was just large enough for Leonardo to wedge his shell into, guiding his shoulder the whole time, and wait. Shadows engulfed him completely. Leo was almost positive that without the artificial light illuminating patches of the sewer he would be lost to the shadows.

The footsteps grew louder, they were rushing now. Though the light was dim Leo was able to see the first Dragon run passed him. He stayed, pulling on the old Japanese war trick of letting the first man through so the others would think the place safe. Another ran passed, Leo could see her hair flickering behind her as he sprinted by searching for him. Three more passed, then another five. He waited like a lion stalking his prey until he knew there were only five Dragons left who needed to run passed him. He heard the sound of two sets of running feet and he jumped. As God as his witness he jumped into the two Dragons drawing his sword at the last possible moment.

Both fell limp to the ground not even being able to clutch their stomachs as Leonardo almost sliced them in two.

The sound of blood hitting the sewer wall sickened Leonardo so much he wanted to throw up - or maybe he wanted to retch only because his shoulder had pulled roughly, dizzying him and throwing him off balance.

He collected himself by swallowing his nausea and preparing for the next three he knew were right behind those two. Not a second later three more Dragons appeared through the dim light.

One shouted, "It's Blue!" and was quickly silenced by a blow to the temple.

The other two felt the thud of Leonardo's hand as they were both punched against the wall with enough force to break bones. One fell roughly to the ground but the other stayed standing.

"Yer gonna ha'va do bett'n that Blue," the man spat blood and smiled reaching into his pocket. The movement was fast, Leonardo barely had time to react as the man pulled out his gun and aimed it at him. Leo was like quicksilver as he swung his blade slicing the gun and the man's hand in half. The man cried out only a second before Leo reversed his swing to bash him over the temple with the hilt of his sword.

The two men lay on the ground with their faces and top half of their bodies being the only part of them out of the sewer water.

Behind him a gun cocked and Leonardo froze, listening.

"Alright turtle man, turn around slowly and drop your sword. Come with me and-and I won' hurt ya too badly," a shaky voice ordered. The voice was defiantly male but higher than what Leo would suspect a teenager to have.

Slowly he turned to face his wanna-be executioner.

A laugh escaped Leonardo's mouth before he could stop it. There standing just out of arms reach was a boy who looked no older than thirteen holding a gun that was far too big and bulky for his hand, he looked awkward holding the sleek metal of the firearm.

The boy was shaking, breathing hard. "I aint playin'! Drop your, uh, sword and put your arms behind your, uh, shell!" The boy nodded hastily squinting his eyes to look at Leo's shell. Leo smiled, the boy almost sounded like Mikey.

In one swift motion Leo sheathed his sword and took a step forward. The boy didn't even have time to scream as Leo smacked the gun hard out of his hand. The deadly weapon tumbled away sinking beneath the sewer water that was starting to run red from the blood of the Dragons he had killed.

The boy froze, his eyes widened in terror as he saw the bloodlust inside Leo's eye.

Leo cocked his head to the side indicating the fallen Dragons, "You wanna become like them?" The boy shook his head soundlessly. "Then I suggest you leave."

"But I saw you! I-I have to-to kill you now…" the boy whispered. His low voice still echoed off the sewer walls uncomfortably loud.

Leonardo backed away from the boy slowly, "Don't make yourself become the first child I've killed," he threatened drawing on his Leader voice. Even he had to admit his Leader voice sounded frightening and badass. It was the voice he had to call upon whenever he needed to get Mikey out of bed or Donnie into his bed from the lab or when he ordered Raph to stay next to him in battle.

The boy opened and closed his mouth unsure of what to do. Leo said calmly, "I didn't see you, you didn't see me, got it? Now go!"

The boy nodded once then turned and took off down the tunnel towards the open manhole

Leonardo looked down at the dead people around him, whiped the sweat from his brow with his good hand then let out a long breath.

_Nine down, only shit ton more to go._

Not a sound was made as he slipped back into the darkness of the shadows seeking more Dragons to destroy.

* * *

**Thoughts? **

**Sorry this took so long to post, I usually never take this long. Senior year and working is kicking my butt! But fear not! This story will get finished. It will NOT be abandoned. **

**About that, I think the biggest thing I hate about reading a story is: getting into it, loving it, then finding out that THE LAST TIME THE PERSON UPDATED WAS IN, LIKE, 2009 OR SOMETHING! Why? Why would someone do that? Why would they just stop.. Whyyy? (Cry, whine, cry some more) if you start a story then you finish that bitch even if you don't like the ending! **

**I'm making a promise to you, the reader, right now. I will NEVER leave a story unfinished. I will NEVER abandon a story, ever. I hate unfinished pieces and so I will do all that I can to ensure my stories get finished.**

**Okay, end of rant :) **

**HAVE A GREAT DAY FELLOW READERS! :)**


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